Draft-equalizer.



F. w. ZIEMENDORF.

DRAFT EQUA'LIZER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

WITNESSES coummm PLANOGRAPH CO, WASHINGTON, n. c

FRED W. ZIEMENIDORF, 0F STEVENS POINT, WISCONSIN.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

iaaaeev.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1atented July 13,1915.

Application filed April 1c, 1914. Serial No. 832,277.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED W. ZI iMENDoRr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stevens Point, in the county of Portage and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft- Equalizers; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in draft equalizers and has particular reference to that type of such devices which are readily attachable to the evener bar of any vehicle.

As a particular object this invention contemplates the provision of an equalizing clevis which will be readily attachable to any vehicle or machine, and whichwill adjust the draft so that unequally mated animals will receive corresponding portions of the draft thereof on pulling the vehicle or machine.

An object of equalimportance with the foregoing, is to provide an equalizing clevis of the type described, which is constructed with such regard to the arrangement of the parts as to be cheaply manufactured, will be durable and efiicient in operation and may be readily applied to the evener bar and save considerable time and labor without requiring any alteration in construction,

of the latter.

The above objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, described in the following specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims which are a part of this application.

Before taking up the description of the drawing, I desire to emphasize the fact that while my invention as designed with particular reference to the matter of road vehicles has been illustrated and will be de-.

shown in dotted lines in the position assumed by the element when unequally mated animals are pulling the vehicle. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of my attachment, the parts being shown in section, and, Fig.

3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates the evener bar of the ordinary construction such as may be used upon any vehicle and provided adjacent its ends with the pivoted links 6 and 7 which pivotally connect swingletrees 8 and 9 of the usual construction thereto. To the forward face of this evener bar 5 and in the center thereof, I attach the semicylindrical bearing 10 which is made of any suitable material and has formed integrally therewith the lateral securing plates 11 and 12. These securing plates are provided with apertures 13 which are adapted to, receive suitable securing means 14 whereby the bearing 10 is held in rigid relationwith the evener bar adjacent the point where the said plates 11 and 12 are joined tothe bearing 10, notches 11 and 12 areformed. The bearing 10 being more,

than a half circle the notches do not come in contact with the rounded end 16 when the evener bar 5 is in normal position.

The second-main element of my invention. is composed of the clevis 15 which embraces the bearing 10 and the evener bar 5 as is clearly shown in. Fig. 3 and upon thelatter of which it is transversely positioned. This clevis has its forward face rounded as shown at 16 to conform to the semicylindrical surface of the bearing 10 forming a concave bearing therefor upon which it is adapted to freely move, such rounded portion terminating oppositely in the shoulders 16 which serve to limit said free movement. Upon the rearward end of the clevis is formed the rearwardly extending bearing 17 which is integral therewith and which is provided with the vertical aperture 18 through which the hammer bolt of the vehicle is adapted to pass thereby pivoting the clevis to the vehicle.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that should the driven animals engaged in pulling the vehicle be unevenly I ire tree 9 is weaker or less capable than the animal attached to the swingletree 8, it will fall lines in Fig. 1, this change of position of the,

evener bar 5 will cause a change in the point of contact of the bearing 10 with the rounded end 16 of the clevis, and also a change in the line of draft through the clevis, from the said point of contact to the pivotal point 18. When the difference between the animals composing the team is sufi'icient to permit one of the notches 11 or 12 to come in contact with the end of the rounded portion 16 then the pull is in the notch which is in contact and the line of draft is from that notch to point 18, as the slow horse moves up, the point of contact changes toward the center until when the team is pulling evenly the point of contact is in the center of the rounded end, and the line of draft is the medial line of the clevis. Thus the point of draft is shifted automatically a, distance equal to the width ofthe clevis.

It will also be apparent that this adjust ment for apportioning the draft of the vehicle between the draft animals equal to their strength is entirely automatic and requires no operation whatever on the part of the driver.

A further advantage obtained by this c0nstruction is that if two equally mated animals are used with the vehicle providedwith my invention and one of the animals is forced to proceed through a particularly muddy spot of ground while the other animal is traversing firm ground, the unequal conditions under which they are working will be adjusted until the bad place in the road is passed.

l Vhile in the foregoing I have illustrated in the drawing, and described in the specification the combination and arrangement of elements that constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention I desire to emphasize the fact that I may make such minor changes. and alterations which will not dm part from the spirit of the invention nor Conflict with the scope of the appended claims. v

l/Vhat I claim is 1. A draft equalizer comprising a semicvlindrical bearing, having laterally extending securing plates and notches adjacent said bearing, in said plates; an equalizer bar, means for securing said bearing to said bar; a clevis embracing said bar and having a concave bearing seat in the forward end thereof adapted to receive said bearing and means to pivotally attach said clevis to a Vehicle.

2. The combination with an evener bar and a semi-cylindrical bearing secured to said bar, of an equalizing clevis, a rounded portion formed at one extremity of said clevis, an apertured extension formed at the other extremity of said clevis to receive the hammer bolt of the vehicle, and shoulders formed at the extremities of said rounded portion by providing a passage through said clevis for the reception of said bar and said hearing so that the latter is rotatably embraced by said rounded portion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRED WV, ZIEMENDORF.

Witnesses JOHN R. MCDONALD, Jos. MAINLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

